Making Myself Laugh on a Saturday Night
I love to poke around on YouTube, mostly in search of music. There's a whole lot of good house, techno and trance on there and some of the old-school stuff takes me back to the days when I used to go dancing a couple of times a week.
Most of the house music on YouTube doesn't have an actual "video", but sometimes something gets made up, like the video for this Chip E. classic. And of course, since some of these records are impossible to get now, it's nice to know I can access the audio. (I love vixy.net!)
Last night I was checking out stuff by my current favorite DJ, Fedde Le Grand and I got to thinking about the DJ I loved most back in the day, Julian Jumpin' Perez.
For those of you that don't know, Julian Jumpin' Perez is one of the most famous house DJs in Chicago. He was on the legendary radio station WBMX for years but then in the late 80's, he began a mix show on top 40 station B96. The B96 mix show was a huge success. It was such a success that in the mid-nineties, B96 apparently decided to have a live dance show on TV called U Dance.
Take a look:
I keep watching this clip and laughing hysterically. Oh my goodness, I'm so glad I was living in China at the time because I'm sure I would've tried to get on this show. Then I'd be in this super embarrassing YouTube video! God was clearly looking out for me!
If you ever went dancing with me at Shelter, Kaboom or China Club back in the mid-90s, please tell me I did not look like this! The fashions are killing me. What was everybody thinking wearing shorts like that? With socks and dress shoes? Wowzer!
And the dancing? I'm convinced B96 imported 99% of these folks in from the suburbs because maybe three people in this can actually dance and two of them are at the 2:50 mark. You really cheer for that pair because you've just viewed the train wrecks that are moving around between 1:57 and 2:49.
While watching the guys, at started thinking about how guys cover up their inability to really dance by humping on the ground. Dancing "sexy" becomes a way to distract us from their lack of real moves.
But they do look like they were all having fun and that was one of the best things about going dancing in Chicago. It was always less about a scene and more about having fun.
I miss that.
Most of the house music on YouTube doesn't have an actual "video", but sometimes something gets made up, like the video for this Chip E. classic. And of course, since some of these records are impossible to get now, it's nice to know I can access the audio. (I love vixy.net!)
Last night I was checking out stuff by my current favorite DJ, Fedde Le Grand and I got to thinking about the DJ I loved most back in the day, Julian Jumpin' Perez.
For those of you that don't know, Julian Jumpin' Perez is one of the most famous house DJs in Chicago. He was on the legendary radio station WBMX for years but then in the late 80's, he began a mix show on top 40 station B96. The B96 mix show was a huge success. It was such a success that in the mid-nineties, B96 apparently decided to have a live dance show on TV called U Dance.
Take a look:
I keep watching this clip and laughing hysterically. Oh my goodness, I'm so glad I was living in China at the time because I'm sure I would've tried to get on this show. Then I'd be in this super embarrassing YouTube video! God was clearly looking out for me!
If you ever went dancing with me at Shelter, Kaboom or China Club back in the mid-90s, please tell me I did not look like this! The fashions are killing me. What was everybody thinking wearing shorts like that? With socks and dress shoes? Wowzer!
And the dancing? I'm convinced B96 imported 99% of these folks in from the suburbs because maybe three people in this can actually dance and two of them are at the 2:50 mark. You really cheer for that pair because you've just viewed the train wrecks that are moving around between 1:57 and 2:49.
While watching the guys, at started thinking about how guys cover up their inability to really dance by humping on the ground. Dancing "sexy" becomes a way to distract us from their lack of real moves.
But they do look like they were all having fun and that was one of the best things about going dancing in Chicago. It was always less about a scene and more about having fun.
I miss that.
Comments
Yeah, the "velvet rope" in Chicago was so not a big deal. I had VIP cards to all the biggest clubs when I was 19 -- which was awesome because then I didn't have to pay to get in. But who was I? Not a wannabe popstar or actress or anything like that. Just a dorky college girl who liked to dance.
CC,
LOL @ "second and best wife!!! But yeah, her friend probably told you how for awhile there, Kaboom was the place to be. I thought I lived at 747 N. Green! It breaks my heart when I look on Google Maps because the street view shows that it's now upscale lofts. We were running things in the Midwest. Between Detroit and Chicago...gosh, we set music on FIRE!
Marleaux,
I remember how everybody thought the Butterfly was such a nasty dance when it first came out, but it's pretty tame compared to the stripper mess that passes as dancing these days. LOVED my Doc Martens! I thought I was SO extra hot in them. Clearly delusional as we can see from watching that clip! You are right though, it's almost all better than the strips of fabric they wear on Soul Train these days!
Noel,
Good luck on the closet cleaning! I think my husband might have "accidentally" donated some of my stuff from back then a couple of years ago.
Come to think of it, I may have accidentally donated some of his mess too.
Jameil,
I was flipping through a couple of photo albums today and, uh, on the outfits, I want to plead the 5th but I can't!
Sadly enough, you KNOW some of those folks were at home practicing their little dance routines all day. I thought some of those guys were gonna give themselves a hernia!
...believe it or not old schoolers in Chi still try to relive the past! Every summer behind the Museum of Science and Indusrty, our old rusty butts set up tents, BRING OUR KIDS, cook and all of the old WBMX, GCI etc, djs come out and we party! It is so funny ~ bald, gray and decrepit still trying to jack!
Thanks, that was really fun!
Oh yeah btw 747 N Green is SO upscale now - like SO upscale! Just across Halsted,the old Montgomery Ward building has posh restaurants and condos ~ scary huh?
They were throwing down & it is all to familiar. I love it.
Speaking of clothes, I saw "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" & Martin was forced to wear a "Cross Colors" outfit & that cracked me up. I wanted one of those outfits so bad!!!
Bygbaby
I've probably watched this clip a dozen times in the past day or so and I'm still dying every single time I see it.
Just think, all those "dancers" are grown ups now. It's a little scary!
Houseonahill.org,
Do you mean Medusa's? Oh and the Riviera was the spot for a minute too! There really were so many great places to go to. The first club I came to in LA, they were throwing lollipop penises off the stage and the artist was handing out free copies of his porn tape. It was a little surreal.
Those old-school get-togethers sound so fun. That's how I know I'm old. And it's scary how upscale so many places are now. I don't even recognize so many parts of Chicago anymore. And not that I mind things looking better, but I always wonder where'd the people go that lived there before, especially in the South Loop.
Bygbaby,
Oh my goodness, Cross Colours! LOL! I remember a friend having a bright yellow CC outfit and then one with red and white stripes. I only shopped thrift stores/goodwill back then because I had no $ and wanted to look "different" but I wanted one of those outfits too.
What's funny is that everyone thought they were so "hip" at the time. I enjoyed watching.
Oh well instead I had to dance in front of my mirror wearing my black rubber bracelets. (ala Madonna). Tragic.
Thanks! I'm glad you're feeling it. I really like it as well!
Jali,
You think you want to see my photos, but really, you don't. And I'm sure I'll look back on my photos from the present day and wonder what I was thinking as well!
NYC/CR,
Mine were also very strict so I only went to clubs after I was 17 and went to college. It was such a pain to try to borrow folk's ids to get in. And then right before I turned 19, I got an official state ID that had my face but not my name. I was Joy B. and I was 21!